There is always something to talk about on Conquer Club - and this week it is our new Conqueror. For some, he has manipulated the rules and done himself and the rest of us an injustice; for others he has come up with a plan to succeed where so many have failed - whichever, congratulations Emmdizzle.

Most of us only have to talk about these things - this week we interview one of the players who has to decide, who keeps us all on the straight and narrow, multi-hunter Evil Semp.

There will be talking face-to-face at the Annual Risk Classic. Steelhorse - or should that be Carter? - spills the beans in War Games. We get a chance to discuss what will be next to come out of the Foundry, and in Platoon Report we give a shout for the winners of season 2 of the Clan League.

From this issue, the four execs heading up the sections will be taking it in turns to publish, while wise old samuelc812 offers his advice and encouragement from behind the scenes. Sam has had a hand in our new crossword too - have fun.

We'll be on a relaxed schedule over the summer and hope to get back into publishing fortnightly when the vacation season is over.

Introducing Conquer Club Crossword, a fun new way to amuse yourself in between turns Challenge yourself with the crosswords we've assembled, try your hand at the arcade and climb to 1st Place! There is something for everyone, now there is no excuse to say you're bored in between turns

To celebrate summer in the northern hemisphere, in Issue #34 of the Conquer Club Dispatch we will have some special crosswords and a contest to boot! So register now and get a feel for it, and most importantly have fun in between turns!

Evening Conquer Clubbers. I'm afraid it is another short edition of the Mess Hall that I present to you today. However, this should change in future issues with the promise of fresh blood joining the team. Thanks for the applications that I have received so far, you shall hear from me very soon . This edition we have our regular feature From the pit... by elfish_ladas well as a story of love, a story of love for the game by deathcomesrippin. We also have an interrogation of the hunter of multis Evil Semp. Below you shall also find our latest chef cartoon

So. I got a new add-on the other day called "Give Your Head a Shake." I'm not sure which of the amazing and/or crazy wizards of add-ons made this one, but it is pretty cool. Here. I'll show you:

Click image to enlarge.

See it? It is there on the left. It's under the heading "Personal Menu" (right where it belongs). Number four on the list. It is the new tab entitled: Perspective.

After you install it, here is how it works when you click on the new Perspective tab (at least this was MY experience, yours may differ):Step One: A voice is heard (I believe it might be James Earl Jones providing the narrative, but I'm not sure):

Perspective... Perspective simply means... a mental point of view... you have clicked this tab because you must need a new one... and... by the way... Elf... I AM your father...

Step Two: Your comp screen goes blank. Crazy, creepy, glowing green numbers and letters start streaming down from the top of your monitor. You have a petit mal seizure. After the paramedics revive you, you look up to see one phrase blinking at the top left of your screen:

Elf... the matrix has you... and now you are truly and completely buggered...

Step Three: You take the red pill. You have another petit mal seizure and your neighbor, who just happens to be a drug-dealer dropping by to borrow a cup of mustard, revives you with a shot of adrenaline to the chest. You immediately wish you had taken the BLUE pill. Damn it anyway.Step Four: You are whisked away by some Harry Pothead plot device and taken to a large circular courtroom. You notice that the gallery is filled with angry Klingons. You beat your chest and immediately proceed to give voice to all of the complaints you have harbored in your soul against all of CC culture. Sadly, for you, the Klingons love CC. Now you are truly and... well... just refer back to point two please and thank you. This time just go ahead and use the "F" word. Cheers.

Step Five: Thinking you are checking into rehab you are surprised to discover that you have actually checked into the Hotel California. Don Henley is there to greet you. He still looks like a smarmy, self-aggrandizing punk... and he says:

Hey Elf, welcome. You now have only one of two choices. You can either find some perspective with regard to your time at CC or you can buy my new piece of shit solo album. It's up to you. Oh. And... "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair...Warm smell of colitas, rising up thr..." [ugh!]

You do what you have always wanted to do: kick Don right in the nads. He has a a petit mal seizure. Others kick 'im when he's down. Nice.

Step Six: While contemplating your CC future, immediately, and without ANY prior warning during your Speed Freak Game on The Highway to Hell map (which has been languishing as a BETA in the bowels of the foundry since 1979) a cattle prod pops out of the chair you are sitting on and hits you with a "hot shot" of 8200 volts. Right up the ass. You don't have a seizure this time. But you do drool a bit as your bladder involuntarily releases. You mildly enjoy the warm sensation. That's gross but true.

Conclusion: And, just as suddenly as the add-on began, it is all over. You feel a bit played out. And for some reason your hemorrhoids are gone. You are confronted by this screen as you look up:

Click image to enlarge.

Epilogue: Head spinning, and still more than a little miffed that lack and the mods in the Sugs Fora haven't implimented your sage wisdom regarding free ffm pron on the interwebs, you click on the little blue linky-link and...

Well. Rinse and repeat as many times as necessary is all I've got to say. It's worked for me numerous times I'll tell ya!

It's one HELL of an add-on!

Cheers,

Elf - who is trying to keep it all in perspective baby! How's about you mate?

The first time I saw you, it was like something I had never felt. A fluttering of my heart, a slight irregularity in the beat, just for a moment, enough to tell me that I had found something worth looking into. The maps were flashing by, the colors swirling into a mesmerizing avalanche of colors. It took my breath away. I knew you had to be mine. The “Play Now” bar loomed on the screen, drawing me into its embrace……***************************Three weeks have passed. The moments that define our relationship are dizzyingly high, or terrifyingly low. I love the rush. Those times where a soft, sensual single assault is needed, or where the forceful, almost violent auto assaults are all that can sate my hunger. It is like a drug, a necessary drug that completes me, YOU complete me. I never knew that my life was so empty before you came into it. ***************************Two months already. Where does the time go? I feel like we are one, you and I, bonded in a way that no one else can see or share. Clickable maps, BOB, I wish that I were the only one using these, like it was our little secret. I feel that with them, we can fly anywhere we need to, anywhere we have to. You know, not to pick at you, but maybe...we could talk about it. You know. Come on, don't play coy. We need to talk about the dice. I know you think it's ok, and me too, me too, but I feel that sometimes you make it personal. Or at least, it feels that way to me. Listen, I didn't want to bring it up, I know how the last guy you were with talked about it, so I just wanted to, you know, tell you how I feel. Honesty should be the core of our relationship. I just, well, I love you so much, that I don't want anything to get in the way. I hope you feel the same.***************************3 months. The relationship is getting stale. I hate to admit this, but I think I am starting to drift away from you. If there was only something you could change, maybe the dice, or the drops, whatever it is, I don’t know. Maybe the problem is with me. I don’t want to lay blame. I just want things to go back to normal, you know? Like it used to be? Can’t we just go back to when I was a “?”, and everything was new and different and almost dangerous? When will I get the love back? What do you mean, the dice are random? Don’t lie to me. Do not sit there and tell me that it is a random drop, I know that’s not true. Look at what that Cadet did to me!! Look at it!! I SAID LOOK AT IT!!! DON’T SIT THERE AND TELL ME THAT YOU ARE IMPARTIAL, EVERY GODDAMN DAY YOU SIT THERE AND DRAIN THE POINTS OUT OF ME, THE LIFE OUT OF ME!!! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!

I never want to see you again.**************************Oh, hey. I didn’t realize I had clicked on you. Haha, well, my bad, I’ll just leave the site I guess…….unless, maybe……….I’m sorry. I didn’t mean everything I said, you know me. I fly off the handle sometimes, like when I broke the mouse because I lost 45 to 4. I just needed some time to cool off, and if you don’t want me back, then I understand.

What?

Oh, my password still works?

Well, maybe I can just log on for a second. Just a little, you know, so we can get to know each other again. I really am sorry, I want to take back everything I said. Maybe, if you’re ok with it, we can start again, right? See if we can start fresh, start anew and take it a bit slower this time.

A. I don't like cheaters, and I hate it when someone gets accused of being a multi just because the joined on the same day and come from the same country as someone else. In other words just because someone got schooled by a new player. So I guess I figured I could do two things at one time, bust cheaters and hopefully keep people from being accused wrongly.

Q. How and why do you hunt multis?

A. The steps in multi hunting. The steps in multi might be censored for national security reasons.

...1) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

...2) **********************

and 3) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

A. To the second part of the question, refer to the previous question.

Q. How much do you enjoy your job as a multi-hunter?

A. I like it a lot. It is interesting trying to figure out if someone has a second or third account. Regretfully it doesn't always smell like roses. I have been called some names when members don't agree with a decision that was made.

Q. Have you ever been thanked, mid-game, for busting a multi by one of your opponents?

A. No. I did bust one in a game I was in. I noticed he would sign out of the site right after his turn in an RT game. So while waiting for him to take his turn I did some investigating. I was winning that game when the bust was made.

Q. Are you and the other Multi-Hunters good friends; and do you all have big chats together where you just pal around?

A. Good friends, no, but we do have an open line of communication.

Q. Do you work with other Multi-Hunters when tracking down multis or do you all work like lone wolves?

A. Some bust are pretty easy we can do them on our own, but there are other times where call for help from the others.

Q. How many multis do you bust in an average month?

A. I have no idea, never tried to keep track.

Q. How many multis do you have yourself and who are they?

A. On CC none but in real life one. I am a twin.

Q. On a scale of a fuzzy kitten to Koman Coulibaly, just how evil are you?

A. Ask the fuzzy kitten that I am grooming to be half a pair of slippers.

Q. What was your most fulfilling bust?

A. Probably the one that is found when you are looking at someone else, just stumble across it by mistake.

Q. Do you sometimes wish you could publicly list all the busts you've made, to point out when you bust someone that you are particularly proud of?

A. No.

Q. Do you and the Mrs ever get into a squabble over a game?

A. Oh Yeah!!! We both like to rub it in when we win, and when I lose combined with bad dice, need I go on?

Q. Do you think that players who access cc from the same computer should be encouraged to use the site with restrictions (i.e. not playing one another/playing only as members of the same team/etc.)?

A. Yes. Not playing public games where there is a good chance of favoritism.

Q. Imagine that the zombie apocalypse has happened. You are trapped in a house surrounded by hundreds of zombies hungry for your brains. In the house there is only a stool, a 100ft length of rope, a shotgun with no ammo, a plastic ruler, a newspaper, a half-full roll of toilet paper, a carton of milk, a pencil, a bedsheet, a football, and a car battery. The house itself is made of wood, and has 6 rooms (3 upstairs, 3 downstairs). There is only one door out of the house, but every room has two windows. There is a 150 ft. tall oak tree approximately 130 feet away from the east side of the house. The zombies will be able to break into the house in about an hour.

How do you escape?

A. They would starve to death because there are no brains here for them to feed on. I realize zombies are not living so escape wouldn't be needed.

Q. Is McGyver's hairdo the best that ever happened to television?

A. No.

Q. Do you like hamsters?

A. I don't like or dislike them.

Q. What is the best way to open a multi account and not get caught?

A. On another site, then we won't be looking for you.

Q. Since you became a hunter the king's and lords have not been as visible in C & A.Was there a coup d'état and did Evil triumph?

A. No. They are younger and probably have more of a life than I do.

Q. How many hours are you on and what ratio of your CC time is spent playing games vs modding?

A. To many. About 30% playing and 70% modding.

Q. On similar lines to other questions about 'Evil Semp'---is there any specific reason why you chose it as your username? Were there any alternatives you considered?

A. When I played Risk on MSN Zone I was Semper__Fi, one time a friend called me evil semp and I liked it. I choose Evil Semp because Semper Fi is usually taken on any gaming site I went to.

Q. What are some of the top things you enjoy about Conquer Club, outside of volunteering for TeamCC?

A. I enjoy playing in tournaments.

Q. What is your dream occupation?

A. I guess what I am doing now because I am my own boss. I have a party supply store in the town I live in.

Q. How about movies, what in your view is the greatest film of all time?

A. My favorite is the Origional Muppet Movie, and no I am not kidding. Followed by the first Shrek.

Q. Aside from the cheating and abuse forum, what other areas of CC are you interested in/actively involved in (tournaments, clans, foundry) etc.?

A. I play in tournaments, and I am trying to come up with an idea for running a tournament.

Q. Thanks for your time Evil Semp!

A. You are welcome.

Once again the tournament team is back to bring you all the big tournament news. The News from the Front continues with an update of the scoreboard and the first completed TPA tournament. Amazzony provides an overview on the recently announced Tournament General Achievement Medals policy. You will also fined an interview with Steelhorse about his 1st Annual Classic tournament.

Now Enlisting:Traveling the World with my Friends? hosted by ralphcptcralphcptc takes you and your merry band on a trip of a lifetime. You start with a group of three friends, but as your vacation continues, friendships are broken and your band splits up, even fight each other! So find some friend, not to good of friends, grab your bags, and tour the world, CC style.

Field Reports:Musical Chairs: Eastern Hemisphere Tour hosted by keiths31Finals are underway! Bones2484, kratos644, benga, Huntyr Green, danryan, and killmanic advanced to the final group! Huntyr Green was eliminated in the first game and the second game is in progress.

1v1 Teams Railed hosted by SerbiaAs round 1 continues, Stansted Express (barterer2002, Timminz, Kinnison) takes a six game lead in the British Rails. CSX Transportation (MudPuppy, phantomzero, Phr34ky) and Mulobezi Railway (Dako, stringybeany, Iron Maid) still hold onto a tight lead in their divisions. Chenglong Railway (dtellis, Freyme, ZionT) have a slight lead over Yechi Railway (olkok, DBandit70, HighlanderAttack) in the Chinese Rails.

Smiert Spionen The James Bond Tournament hosted by barterer2002There is a six way tie at the top of the standings between Simon Templar (phantomzero), boogie man (I_AM_BOGEY), Inspector Gadget (benga), Johnny English (J_A), Richard Sorge (SirSebstar), and Xander Cage (Eddy_26). All have three assassinations.

Battle Results:HA's Manual 64 hosted by HighlanderAttack Zivel has won the tournament. crbluth finished 2nd, HighlanderAttack finished 3rd, and killmanic has finished 4th. Zivel was able to get the win in 10 rounds.

Military Conference:Does TPA really represent the overall picture of CC tournaments?A summary of a recent TPA discussion provided by amazzonyThe questions was brought up by MudPuppy in the official TPA topic in this post.

MudPuppy wrote:1v1 is probably the most popular format style among tournaments yet the TPA doesn't have its first traditional 1v1 scheduled until Week 12. There are also 3 assassin tourneys, including a Major, planned for the first 4 months when that style makes up ~3% of overall CC tourneys.

And here's Barterer2002, Head of the TPA, answering the concern:

barterer2002 wrote:The reason there are 2 assassins early is that the first major is the assassin tournament. Prior to each of the majors there will be a "warm up" of a similar styling approximately 3 weeks prior....There are plenty of 1v1s coming in and while your complaint is that there isn't a "traditional 1v1" until Week 12 there have been several tournaments already that are in the 1v1 mode and there will be plenty. ...In general the idea is that there are 5 main types of tournaments (singles, 1v1, teams, assassin, terminator)....In our 52 weeks the breakdown should be something along the lines ofAssassin 3Terminator 5Teams 10singles 171v1 17Give or take a few here to match up with what the TOs are looking to do. I haven't compared this to the schedule to see how we're doing on that at this point but I will.

If you thought that after the huge Tournament Database update the Tournament Directors would press brake and give themselves to rest for awhile then you were dead wrong. After lackattackannounced the change of The Contest Achievement medal to General Achievement, these medals have slowly started to be used in tournaments. And, to top it all, a few days ago (more exactly, on July 14), General Achievement Medals Policy was released by Lindax and the tournament team. Basically, what it means is that "A Tournament Organizer (TO) has the option to grant a General Achievement Medal ... to a player or team participating in his/her tournament" (from official announcement). Beware, it won't be given out to everybody and you must "establish a specific objective" and "clearly describe how the objective(s) can be achieved" (official announcement) which means that "the Tournament Directors reserve the right to accept or deny any idea for a General Achievement Medal." (official announcement)

"The Tournament Directors are waiting to see how this policy works out, since it's a new feature for tournaments," said Lindax, Director in charge of General Achievement Medals. "Policy is subject to change depending on how this new idea works out." To share your ideas, comments or just keep an eye on where the subject is heading, visit the official announcement.

More about General Achievement medals will be written in the next issue of the newsletter where we'll take a look at how and where these shiny awards have been used. Plus, we'll also take a look at other prizes given out for tournaments - premium membership.

Steelhorse: "Well, hopefully the best player will emerge victorious. But, reality is that the player who has the best tournament will win. This can be a crazy game. Maybe the worst, luckiest player will win."

Q: Does the Satellite follow the same format of the 1st Annual RISK Classic? If not, what type of format are you hoping to achieve with the Annual RISK Classic tournament?

Steelhorse: "It follows the format as closely as I reasonably can. In the Classic, initial armies are deployed one at a time, until all beginning armies are exhausted. Then, the game play begins. But, on the CC Satellite, I'm using Automatic deployment. The attacking, reinforcements, and cards are pretty much the same."

Q: What type of experience are you hoping to provide for the players of the 1st Annual RISK Classic tournament?

Steelhorse: "The most important thing to take away from the Annual RISK Classic is memories of a great time and new friends. Of course, it is competitive and winning is an added bonus. But, win or lose, as long as everyone walks away thinking, 'I had a great time, can't wait till next year,' I'm happy."

Q: Why should players come to the 1st Annual RISK Classic tournament?

Steelhorse: "I think there are a few reasons the Annual RISK Classic will draw so many people. First, it provides everyone an opportunity to sit down and play RISK, which many of us just don't have time for in our every day lives. Life moves so fast nowadays, setting aside 3-4 hours to play a board game seems to be getting harder and harder.Secondly, I put a lot of thought into ensuring that everyone has an enjoyable experience. From the location of the tourney to the time spent with family and friends, it is a weekend of fun, relaxation, and spirited competition, that I hope everyone looks forward to for many years to come."

Q: Finally is there anything you like to say about either tournament?

Steelhorse: "Hope to see you there "

Hello! This issue will be dedicated to all the victims of World War I. Wars are terrible, especially ones that big. But on the bright side they make good material for strategy games. Long story short, I hope you enjoy this issue. (I was going to write a longer introduction, but some stuff happened and...) -nd

Nordic Countries Shipped & Ready for the TrenchesReporter's Note: With apologies to our fearless leader natty_dread, I'd like to share the skinny on his map Nordic Countries, which quenched about a month ago. This sleek, deceptively deep map flew from the mind of a Finn resident late last year. Like a well-oiled field piece, natty_dread relentlessly pursued target after target, eventually churning out over sixty pages of conversation with the community at large. I call this map 'deceptively deep', because although at first glance it seems like a standard territory map, it offers twists like superbonuses (a bonus for holding multiple bonus areas, like in the World 2.1 map) sea routes to capitals, and captials with autodeploys. Although first-time players can manage just fine by playing Nordic Countries as a standard map, it also offers alternate strategies for the CC vateran. Encompassing sixty-two regions, nine bonuses, five capitals and three super-bonuses, Scandanavia never looked so good. Congratualations to natty_dread on quenching his first map!

Macedonia Charges Forward Into Play After seven months, N.N. has finally lead his Macedonia map into beta-testing. In bold, rough-hewn tones, this map offers the joys of quick, simple gameplay as only small standard maps can. The map sports one gameplay quirk- a special bonus for holding the 4 regions that contain lakes- but otherwise contains 9 standard bonus areas and 42 total regions. So give this map a try and see if you have anything to say! I already have a Macedonia game going and I like what I see thus far. So, best of luck to n.n. in making it 'Over There' to the land of Quenched Maps.

Stalingrad- Epic Battle of Attrition Goes Beta The semi-retired mapmaking legend, Cairnswk, is finishing up his map of one of the longest and bloodiest battles in human history. In an era when static defense had supposedly died an embaressing death at the hands of the World War II blitzkrieg, the battle of Stalingrad became the exception. Lasting approximately half a year and causing the death of untold millions, the battle brought nearly all of the military arms into play. Naturally, this map reflects that fact. No less than seven separate unit types are represented- infantry, snipers, artillery, armor, bombs, aircraft and flak. Each unit type has its own method of assaulting and/or bombardment. I would personally recommend that players read the map thoroughly before starting play- this is almost certainly the most ambitious and involved CC map to enter beta testing. However, it is potentially the most satisfying for hardcore strategists such as myself, and I can't wait to play it. Best of luck to cairnswk on this breathtaking epic from history.

New maps - Design brief submitted:Oasis Sahara by Nilcius An exotic map of North Africa bay a first time map maker. Moved to Gameplay.Cyprus by Thenobodies80 A map of modern Cyprus that revolves around the political divisions of the Island. Moved to Gameplay.Guatemala by Jleonnn A straightforward map of the country Guatemala. Moved to Gameplay.(TBA) Asia by MrBenn, Peter Gibbons A new map of the complete continent Asia. Done in the style of Europe where every current nation equates to a territory.Cybercity: The uprising by Bob XIII A futuristic city map. Cyberpunk style, with complex gameplay.

Moved maps:Celtic 7 Nations by The Bison King Moved to the Gameplay workshop. Working on territory connections, and bonus values.Mexico by MrBenn Moved back into the foundry this map is currently in the gameplay workshop.Conquer 500 by dolomite13 Resurrected from the bin to Gameplay.Napoleonic Europe 1812 by Kabanellas, Raskholnikov Moved to Final Forge.

The King's CourtAuthor(s):Kabanellas & ChipvMap style: ConquestMap size: LargeForum: GameplayDevelopment status: Kabanellas and Chipv are bringing us another map with complex and intriguing gameplay. Kings' Court is a conquest map with a hex grid, although a smaller one than the Hive, it makes up for this with interesting features. One could describe the map as a hybrid of Hive and Feudal.

The map features castles, archers, trebuchets, knights, catapults and of course villages to conquer, but also a family of nobles and men of influence that is central to the gameplay. A complex map like this may not be for every player, but the ones who enjoy complex strategy maps will likely love King's Court. The visual style imitates a fictional boardgame. It's too early to say much about the graphics, but knowing Kabanellas they will probably be great.

Currently the mapmakers are trying to solve some gameplay issues, mostly related to starting troops and neutrals.

Baltic CrusadesAuthor(s):TheBastardMap style: ConquestMap size: MediumForum: GameplayDevelopment status: TheBastard's first map is progressing slowly but steadily. Baltic Crusades is a conquest map with a gameplay that leans heavily on autodeploys. It is set in the Baltic countries in the medieval times, featuring wars of religion, christians and pagans, Teutonic knights and much more.

The map has progressed steadily so far although there have been some bumps on the road. Currently the development is concentrated on the visual aspects of the gameplay and map legibility. Let's wish TheBastard luck with his first project, which has potential to become a very enjoyable map with unique gameplay.

Age of Steam: Orient ExpressAuthor(s):natty_dreadMap style: StandardMap size: MediumForum: GraphicsDevelopment status: Yours truly has decided to pick one of his own maps for this issue. I don't feel comfortable praising my own creations, so I'll just give you the scoop on the map in a nutshell:

The map features the Orient Express railway (well duh) and is the first of a planned series of maps (map pack) called Age of Steam. These maps will all feature famous or legendary railways, although I aim to make the gameplay different from other rail maps. The gameplay is a kind of hybrid rail map, where you fight for land territories along with railway stations.

Currently, final graphical tweaks are being made, and all the larger hurdles have been passed succesfully.

Napoleonic EuropeAuthor(s):Raskholnikov, Kabanellas, Ender516Map style: StandardMap size: LargeForum: GraphicsDevelopment status: Another graphical masterpiece from Kabanellas, with a gameplay designed by Raskholnikov. This map features Europe in the Napoleonic era, when the French empire was at it's peak. The gameplay includes famous battles and historically accurate countries and territories.

A map with stunningly beautiful graphics and complex gameplay - this would be the only way I can describe the map. It has caused some controversy and drama among the Foundry, but all of the larger obstacles have now been cleared and the map is well on it's way to quenching.

In fact, the map is now waiting for any last comments before moving on to Final Forge, and will probably be there by the time this issue is published.

Map Spotlight: Russian RevolutionI the cold Russian winter of 1917 the oppressed people of the Czars Russia, finally had enough. They over through the old monarchy and replaced it with the first communist government in history. It was not easy though. The initial conflict was a bloody affair and sparked a series of follow up revolutions that would last until 1922. Cartography Assistant Industrial Helix has taken it upon him self to capture the spirit, and history of this revolution in a conquer club map, and in great detail.

The Bison King: Hello

Industrial Helix: Hi

The Bison King: What gave you the idea to do a map on the Communist revolution in Russia (along with China)

Industrial Helix: I also thought that CC could use a few more maps of the most populous place on Earth, but I guess I was waiting on the right idea to come to mind. I did an in depth study for a class in my graduate degree program on the Chinese Civil War where I evaluated the military decisions of Jiang Jieshi and Mao Zedong and how the impacted the end result of the 1945-49 Civil War. Being that I play a lot of Conquer Club I naturally thought a lot of the elements of the war would translate nicely into a game map (such as cities, breakaway provinces, railroads and commanders). So I made Chinese Civil War first and then it occurred to me that I could use this as an opportunity to fulfill my longstanding wish for another Russia map besides Soviet Union. I did some reading on the conflict and found a lot of the features of Chinese Civil War lent themselves nicely to the Russian Civil War. Hence, Russian Civil War (or Russian Revolution, how ever you prefer it).

The Bison King: Is there a specific year in which the Russian Revolution map is supposed to take place?

Industrial Helix: I didn't have a specific year in mind but I wanted to recreate the general situation throughout the war, such as the use of populations for armies, railroads, the use of cities and Imperial Russian arms. Since the eight commanders I have featured on the map weren't operating all at the same time, I expect the map will play out like a different year/years to each player assigned with a different commander. Trotsky, for example, faces many of the problems on the map that Trotsky did throughout the length of the war. Whereas a player assigned Yudenich is faced with a situation the real Yudenich only faced in 1919.

The Bison King: What are some other ways in which you tried to recreate the confilct through the gameplay?

Industrial Helix: Well, the biggest way was that I wanted to assign players to a situation similar to those faced by the commanders at the time, so hence each player starts with a commander loaded with, at the moment, 8 men. The game is set up so that a player must guard his commander because without, the bonuses don't yield men. As leadership was crucial to both sides in the war, its crucial to this map. Another way is the use of high population zones, which in the war, the communists based around Moscow used the population to draft large armies whereas the Whites in the farther reaches of Russia didn't have that advantage, save for maybe Ukraine. The map yields more troops in the high pop zone than it does outside. There's other elements as well, such as the powerful cities, the railroads, ect.

The Bison King: Can you tell us about the British support and the Czech Legion?

Industrial Helix: Well... its kind of strange and confused story as a lot of the historians don't really agree on many aspects of the foreign support during the war. The easiest and strangest is the Czech legion who were a nation under the rule of Austria during and before WWI. Essentially, Czech volunteers formed an army and fought with the Entente powers during the first three years of the war. When Russia collapsed and gave up the Czechs were to be evacuated and brought in on the Western Front. However, none of Russia's European ports were safe in 1918 so the best way, it was determined was to evacuate via Vladivostok, the otherside of Russia. So they headed that way and got strung out across the length of Russia, they reformed in Siberia and ended up fighting communist forces with Japan and the US. Ultimately they made it home to the newly formed Czechoslovakia. The British, on the on the hand, basically didn't like the notion of a communist Russia and started sending loads of supplies and weapons to Archangel and later in the Crimea. Generally, it was a half hearted effort as the British didn't know what to do with all the surplus weapons from WWI. Churchill at the time was urging for full scale war with the communists, but it had seemed Britain had had enough of war and was content to use Russia as a dumping ground. At the same time, there were like 20,000 Greeks hanging out in the Crimea, some Italians and French as well. The Americans and Japanese had invaded Siberia as I mentioned before. But in the end, none of the foreign intervention, save for Poland's, really had any impact on the war. This is mainly due to incompetence in the White armies and failure to utilize foreign support. So the British support just sat there until the Reds got around to taking it, though I think it could have been a major aid to the Whites had they chosen to use it.

The Bison King: Speaking of Poland I notice that the Poland Bonus and the Ukraine Bonus both require the territory Volhynia, why is this?

Industrial Helix: Well, Poland was a big player in the war and for the Red victory. They wanted to expand to their old height in territorial acquisitions and moved in on Russia as well as Ukraine and they annexed a load of land to Poland. Meanwhile, Ukraine had a strong role as a breakaway province in the war and as a base for the whites, but once Poland invaded they lost their momentum. The one or the other bonus reflects that neither can be at the full power each attained during the war at the same time.

The Bison King: So once this map is finished do you plan on continueing the map pack?

World War 1 or the First World War, 1914 - 1918, was the first war that involved nations spanning more than half the globe, hence world war.

It was commonly called "The Great War" or sometimes "the war to end wars" until World War II started, although the name "First World War" was coined as early as 1920 by Lt-Col à Court Repington in The First World War 1914-18.

Some scholars write of the First World War as merely the first phase of a 30-year-long war spanning the period 1914 - 1945.

"A generation that has taken a beating is always followed by a generation that deals one."- Prince Otto von Bismarck, German Chancellor, 1870

History

Though triggered by the assassination (June 28, 1914) of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria in Sarajevo, Bosnia at the hands of a pro-Serbian nationalist assassin (a Bosnian Serb student named Gavrilo Princip), the war's origins lie in the complex relations of the European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 had brought not only the establishment of a powerful and dynamic German Empire , but also a legacy of animosity between France and Germany following the latter's annexation of the formerly French territory of Alsace-Lorraine. Under the political direction of her first Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, Germany secured her new position in Europe by an alliance with Austria-Hungary and a diplomatic understanding with Russia.

The accession (1888) of Emperor Wilhelm II brought to the German throne a young ruler determined to direct policy himself, despite his rash diplomatic judgment. After the 1890 elections, in which the centre and left parties made major gains, and due in part to his disaffection at inheriting the Chancellor who had guided his grandfather for most of his career, Wilhelm engineered Bismarck's resignation.

Much of the fallen Chancellor's work was undone in the following decades, as Wilhelm failed to renew the arrangement with Russia, presenting republican France with the opportunity to conclude (1891-94) a full alliance with the Russian Empire. Worse was to follow, as Wilhelm undertook (1897-1900) the creation of a German navy capable of threatening Britain's century-old naval mastery, prompting the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale of 1904 and its expansion (1907) to include Russia.

Rivalry among the powers was exacerbated from the 1880s by the scramble for colonies which brought much of Africa and Asia under European rule in the following quarter-century. Even the once hesitantly imperialistic Bismarck became an advocate of overseas Empire, adding to Anglo-German tension as German acquisitions in Africa and the Pacific threatened to impinge upon British strategic and commercial interests. Wilhelm's support for Moroccan independence from France, Britain's new strategic partner, provoked the Tangier Crisis of 1905. During the Second Moroccan or Agadir Crisis (1911), a German naval presence in Morocco tested the Anglo-French coalition once again.

A key ingredient in the emerging diplomatic powder-keg was the growth of powerful nationalist aspirations among the Balkan states, which each looked to Germany, Austria-Hungary or Russia for support. The rise of anti-Austrian circles in Serbia following a 1903 palace coup contributed to a further crisis in 1908 over Austria's unilateral annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, German pressure forcing a humiliating climbdown on the part of a Russia weakened (1905) by defeat at the hands of Japan and subsequent revolutionary disorder

Alarm at Russia's unexpectedly rapid recovery after 1909 fuelled feeling among German ruling circles in favour of a pre-emptive war to break alleged Entente "encirclement" before Russian rearmament could tip the strategic balance decisively against Germany and Austria-Hungary. By 1913 both France and Germany were planning to extend military service, while Britain had entered into a naval convention and military discussions with France during the previous year.

In 1908 the Young Turk movement, a reformist and strongly nationalist group, with many adherents in the army, forced the restoration of the constitution of 1876, and in 1909 the parliament deposed the sultan and put Muhammad V on the throne. In the two successive Balkan Wars (1912–13), Turkey lost nearly its entire territory in Europe to Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and newly independent Albania. The nationalism of the Young Turks, whose leader Enver Pasha gained virtual dictatorial power by a coup in 1913, antagonized the remaining minorities in the empire.

The wars of unification took place in the last half of the 19th century and saw the rise of the united kingdoms of Italy and Germany. France and Austria Hungary stood as the established powers of the region, but after a number of successful wars the balance of power shifted, especially in Germany. These two maps reflect these various wars that took place during this tumultuous time.

On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne in Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary soon issued a declaration of war.

Summary

World War 1, lasted from 1914 to 1918. World War 1 began as a local European conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914

It was transformed into a general European war by the declaration of war made by Germany against Russia, on August 1, 1914.

These intermingled conflicts eventually became a global war involving thirty two nations, twenty eight of which, known as the Allies and the Associated Powers, and including Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the United States, opposed the coalition known as the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria.

The immediate cause of the war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was the assassination on June 28, 1914, at Sarajevo, capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia, of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir-presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Gavrilo Princip, a serb nationalist.

The fundamental causes of the conflict, however, were rooted deeply in the European history of the previous century, particularly in the political and economic policies of the nations of Europe after the year 1871, which marked the emergence of Germany as a great world power.

The unarmed British passenger ship Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on May 7, 1915. This outraged the American public opinion against Germany.

Hostilities between the Allied and Central Powers continued until the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, a period of four years, three months and fourteen days. The aggregate direct war costs of all the belligerents amounted to about 186 billion dollars.

Casualties in the land forces amounted to over 37 million; in addition deaths among civilian populations caused indirectly by war approximated 10 million.

"What our sword has won in half a year our sword must guard for half a century."- Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, commander German Army, after the German Victory in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.

Facts

World War 1 was officially started in 1914

More than 8.5 million people died as a direct result of World War 1

Today there is still an unexploded mine shaft from World War 1 at the New Zealand Memorial Park in Messines.

The German cruiser Emden23 sunk 23 Allied vessels

More than 2,600 Allied ships were sunk by the German U-Boats during World War 1

During World War 1, 24 total nations declared war on one or more of the Central Powers

The were 5,200 US Casualties per square mile during the Battle of Belleau Wood in June of 1918

Germany produced 123 Zeppelin and similar airships during World War 1

There were 56,000 mines laid by US Navy during the North Sea barrage

Britain produced 5,400 Sopwith Camel fighter planes during World War 1

There were an estimated 58,000 British casualties on the first day on the Battle of the Somme

An estimated 32 million artillery shells were fired during the Battle of Verdun

There were approximately 275,000 Italian prisoners taken at Caporetto

The Japanese sent 75,000 troops to Siberia in 1918

Under The Versailles Treaty, the size of German Army was limited to 100,000 soldiers.

Over 19 million soldiers from all nations were wounded during World War 1

world-war-1.infoA comprehensive online resource for information about World War 1.

When THOTA won season 1 of the Clan League everyone knew it confirmed them as the best clan around. So is the same true this year of the League Division 1 winners? Or can the Div 2 winners call themselves contenders? Are THOTA going to be surpassed - or will they keep on pulling it out when the going gets hardest? Or maybe it's some other formula entirely we'll need to decide who is the best clan in town...With all this excitement and too few reporters, we've not paid enough attention lately to the many great challenges going on, so we begin to put that right with a quick look at the latest clan war to come to an exciting finale.

Barring a dramatic turnaround in the final games, we have winners in the League. The 17-game Division 1 finals launched with the Bullet Proof Bandits, courtesy of their fearsome doubles pair, having the better of the early exchanges. But Legends of War soon found their feet, taking more of the trips and quads games. Unless something extraordinary happens, LoW will take the title – they might even finish with the luxury of a game or two to spare.

It’s terrific for the League to be so competitive right to the end – terrific for LoW too. Any day now they will be taking possession of the trophy, and beneath the name of last year's champions The Horsemen of the Apocalypse, will be etched the name of this year's victors: Legends of War. You guys really wanted this one, didn’t you? we asked their co-leader reptile

reptile wrote:Last season we had unfinished business without the playoffs, so this year we decided to make sure that playoffs or none that we would finish on top and finish what we started last year. You could even say that in a battle of the sexiest clans on CC, LoW has taken the cake ... looking forward to next year and all challengers.

A clan is the sum of its members, and there are many members of LoW who have got great records this season. With one game open DBandit70 has chalked up 12 wins from 18 played - but it's the clan achievement he's really enjoyed:

DBandit70 wrote:At the start of the season, LoW lost members to TOFU then lost a challenge to O&H - were you expecting the season to end as well as it has?

It was a rough time sorting out exactly who was leaving and who was staying, but Reptile took the lead and kept an open line of continual communication going with the clan, always asking others for input and how we should structure things going forward. It was a strange break in a way because we hold all those at TOFU in the highest regard and still think of them as clan brothers, but they had their reasons for starting something new and we have always wished them the best of luck, unless in a match against us I do not think any of us looked so far ahead as to think we could win this year with the many new combinations of players and new members, but with each passing week and with some great play and helpful advice by our more experienced clan members, we started to see something gel. I would say within the last moth of the season we really started to see the goal and though I think we were overlooked by many teams, we knew we had a very legitimate chance at the title.

Looks like you guys will take the league - what is the mood in the LoW camp?

The mood is very exciting to say the least. To win this year, after the clan split, is just a testimony to all of us involved. As for the new members who got involved they shared and contributed to the spirit of excitement to carried us forward. It is quite amazing to know that within LOW, not only are we playing our individual games, but that we are looking in on all the other games and offering helpful and encouraging words all the way. The team mentality has really come to fruition and maybe it took the break of the clan for that to be developed to the point it is today.

Have you got a favorite game or match from the season?

Think it has to be the last two matches. The semi's against KORT was entertaining form the standpoint that we were being written off after one game had ended and had us losing the match. Here is a quote jpcloet wrote:"Playoff Update - I have KORT and BPB at significant leads and almost to the finals, TOFU is into the Finals and AOC is up slightly 7-5 on DD." We could not believe what we were hearing, that we were losing significantly, while we thought we were is pretty good shape, lol. After hearing that comment we really focused hard and again maybe it was something to help focus us to play our best and to take nothing for granted. The finals were memorable also since we definitely fell behind 3 games games early losing the majority of our doubles matches, but we played the bigger games much better and knew we were never out of it. Winning the Prohibition Chicago Game was the clincher and it was time to light the fireworks.

We spoke to two od the Bandits' star players. Warning: this interview contains X-rated language - skip to the next header if you may be offended.

mikiesdios and superrag have been BpB’s secret weapon in the semis (where they took a clean sweep of their games) and the finals (winning their games 5-3). Some onlookers have expressed surprise at the number of games they’ve taken, but BpB are a small clan and there’s a title to be won – the clan directors may change the rules next year, but this year there are no limits on how many games players can take. What is not up for debate is the skill with which the Spanish duo play. We sent a carrier pigeon to Madrid with our questions:

mikiesdios wrote:How long have you been playing together, how did you meet, do you know each other in real life?i'm not sure, but from the begining we played together... i think i didn't play more than 10 games alone... 5 years ago I met superrag's mother one night in a club... XD In real life both of us live in Madrid so sometimes we have gone out together with other friends from other game we played before...

What makes you such a great doubles partnership? normally i don't agree superrag tactics, so we must to talk about it at the begining of the games...

Are the Bullet Proof Bandits the sexiest clan on CC? Superrag should answer this question, he had to suck some dicks to get our premium... XD... XD

Are you enjoying having premium? Does it make Conquer Club more fun?As i said in the previous question, superrag should answer this one too... but in my opinion he enjoyed it a lot!!! XDAbout if premium make me have more fun, i'm not sure because i have to say that at the begining i was a little stressed because there were a lot of games to play...

Andrés Iniesta or Alberto Contador?I think that it's not the person, it's the team who makes it work... There are a lot of great players in Spain now, maybe Nadal or Gasol... but this question is very easy to answer just after his goal in the final... so Andres Iniesta!! It could be nice if he would play in Real Madrid...Alberto Contador is the better Spanish cyclist right now, but he has to beat Miguel Indurain first...

We have Division 2 champions too: TOFU. It was business as usual for The Odd Fellows Union in the Division 2 finals. Some of the games will be horribly familiar to TOFU's previous victims: adjacent Iraq, adjacent Conquerman, AoR2... Their clan raced to an 8-3 lead over Agents of Chaos, forcing the latter to concede defeat. AoC were not taking it lying down, however, and look to pull back some of the gap before the final is over, as co-leader Eyestone tells us:

Eyestone wrote:It's hard to say that you are content with losing in a challenge, but even though the numbers seemed clear quite early we have played some good games. I am predicting the final score to be around 9-7 which I believe shows that we have given TOFU the hardest battle in division 2 this season, and we should be happy with that. Looking forward to play the rest of the games in the challenge soon

So this is a wrap for the League this year. The actors step off the stage to enjoy the after party – and we leave the hard-working clan directors with a quiet moment to savour all the drama they have witnessed and the fun they have brought to so many players in so many clans.

LIVE from the Conquerdome, THOTA, #1 seeds of the cup are right now facing off against Nemesis, the aptly named 8th seed.

The tiebreaker is well underway right now in Game 7274080 and things could not be more exciting. This game has managed to draw more attention than Zoe Deschanel doing a strip tease, more chatter than Oprah on speed and more anticipation than a virgin on their wedding night, who is watching Zoe Deschanel do her strip tease.

This could be the most watched game of the Cup, unless the finals itself comes down to a tie breaker like this one.

But as we are going to press it seems THOTA have won it... all that build up tension and excitement ends prematurely, but look at the grin on the faces of those Horsemen.

So the Semi's will be Legends of War vs THOTAand TOFU vs KoRT

Lets just briefly look at where they've all come from in this tournament.

TOFU:TOFU started their rampage in this war with an impressive execution of the Brethren of the Fat Mermaid.Followed by an encounter with ++The Legion++ that still makes me lose sleep at night.

KoRT:KoRT took down Generation 1 in a confident manner and then proceeded to take EMPIRE down with style, a clan that was seeded 3 places above them.

LoW:Legends of War have fought through the now non-existent O&H through to The Immortal Assassins in what was a tremendous Quarter Final match up, another team to upset the seeding but this time it was the 4th and 5th seeds fighting it out.

THOTA: Being seeded 1st you'd think THOTA would have had the easiest time of it, but after their victory over Left 4 Dead, THOTA found Nemesis to be a challenge to their dominance. While THOTA talked the talk and seemed confident through out the challenge, I would speculate that more than one Horseman started to sweat when Nemesis stepped up and gave them their best shot.

The date is yet to be set for the next round, so for the next issue any one with predictions or thoughts on the upcoming Semi Finals Match Ups,Please write in to me Dai_atan and include CUPSEMIS in the title, to share your Cup theories and opinions with the ConquerClub Clan scene.

Victory in this challenge is a return to form for Imperial Dragoons. They have a great history, having been a high ranking clan as long as anyone on CC. But with the retirement of leader Fireside Poet, and other members, their force seemed to gradually wane. After they had gone 5 behind against FOED, it was great to see them rally and fight back to take a narrow win. For the Fraternal Order of Exceptional Drinkers, this is a small hiccup. They have come into the world with a thirst for action, and are drinking their fill of challenges. We caught up with MudPuppy of ID and Pander88uk of FOED who faced each other in the final quads game open – Game 7079864.

MudPuppy wrote:It's been a great clan war from the start and not much of a surprise that it's come down to the wire. Waterloo quads is an ideal deciding game with many different strategic approaches to choose from. Doesn't get much better than this and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

Pander88uk wrote: Without wanting to jump ahead of the game, it looks like ID are going to win this one and take an excellent series from us, so congratulations to them for that once they take this! An excellently fought war all around and very much fun indeed!As for playing in the 'decider'; we were well behind in the game by the time it was the last one ongoing, so were concentrating a lot more on the other games in the challenge which were a lot closer at the time. So not feeling too much pressure at the stage, we should have done better in the other games before this one

Features

Keeping up Appearances; A Look into Ranks and Laddersby Dai_atan (Legion)

Any narcissistic or proud or plain curious clan member worth his or her salt will have at least once gone to look at the clan ladders and seen their clan's name and gone HEY THAT IS US!

Usually unless that narcissistic/proud/curious clan member is from THOTA or TOFU, that narcissistic/proud/curious clan member’s reaction is to say WE SHOULD BE HIGHER THAN THAT!

All patriotism aside, are these systems of rank a help or a boon to the Conquer Club community? Is the ladder a result of hot competition or is our hot competition a result of the ranking systems and a desire to move up another rung and reach that much longed after number 1 spot.

The initial difference between these is one is Qualitative and the other Quantitative

While the RPI is a set formula that bases its ranking placement on a set of standardized variables, the power rankings is decided on the popular opinion of those clan leaders that took the time and effort to consider and place all clans except their own.

So which works best?

The first assumption is that hard figures would be the more scientific and more reliable source, but results have shown huge jumps in ranking up and down from where a clan is thought to level out and where a clan ends up.

Does that mean something is wrong with the formula? No, the formula is quite well composed and quite complex, but there are some inherent difficulties that a system like RPI needs to overcome.

It is for instance quite hard to rank clans against each other that do not play in the same division in the clan league.

It is difficult to weight the performance of a clan in the league against their performance in full on wars. A challenge that many would put more effort into, some would say.

So what about the Power Rankings? Is that the way to go?

Public opinion is just as susceptible to error as anything, but if you want to know what people think of your clan more than what your clans actual abilities are then public opinion is the general way to go.

Ultimately the best Ladder would categorize inalienable statistics from all divisions, challenges and wars and weight them against public opinion to result in a balanced ladder.

It would be the perfect ladder, right until someone saw it and saw that it ranked their clan at a lower rung than it had been. Then it would obviously be a flawed ladder, welcome to the life of anyone who runs a ladder.

The full superrag/mikiesdios interview didn't make it into the Dispatch - here it is. BE WARNED: it contains X-rated material - do not read if you may be offended.

superrag wrote:

mikiesdios wrote:i want to say that my english isn't good, but i hope you could understand it... maybe f***ing superrag could add anything...

laughingcavalier wrote:Thanks guys - here's your questions:

How long have you been playing together, how did you meet, do you know each other in real life?

i'm not sure, but from the begining we played together... i think i didn't play more than 10 games alone... 5 years ago I met superrag's mother one night in a club... XD In real life both of us live in Madrid so sometimes we have gone out together with other friends from other game we played before...

I don't remember how long, but obviously it has been way too long! We have been playing together almost from the very beginning since I joined, I think I played 5-10 games alone, and then I thought miki could use the game as a way to leave the drugs and alcohol behind...judging from his last games, it seems it hasn't worked out that well...

mikiesdios wrote:

laughingcavalier wrote:What makes you such a great doubles partnership?

normally i don't agree superrag tactics, so we must to talk about it at the begining of the games...

It's all because of me! Mikiesdios is a great partner to drop armies on my terrritories and then fort me, he is useless any other way...

Superrag should answer this question, he had to suck some d*cks to get our premium... XD

Sexiest? If you are not heteresexual, yes, I think it is very sexy xD

mikiesdios wrote:

laughingcavalier wrote:Are you enjoying having premium? Does it make Conquer Club more fun?

As i said in the previus question, superrag should answer this one too... but in my opinion he enjoyed it a lot!!! XDAbout if premium make me have more fun, i'm not sure becuase i have to said that at the begining i was a little stressed because there a lot of games to play...

Like they say, tso many assholes, so few bullets...Being premium means that we can kick much more asses, so you guys don't have to wait in a big line.We have love for all of you, just come and get it xDD

mikiesdios wrote:

laughingcavalier wrote:Andrés Iniesta or Alberto Contador?

I think that it's not the person, it's the team who makes it work... There are a lot of great players in spain now, maybe Nadal or Gasol... but this question is very easy to answer just after his goal in the final... so Andres Iniesta!! It could be nice if he would play in Real Madrid...Alberto Contador is the better spanish cyclist right now, but he has to beat Miguel Indurain first...

Let me just say that we are foortball world champions for the next four years, and still europe champions for the next two...so, as Maradona likes to say, you can all suck and then keep sucking ;D